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Vegan Recipes: State Fair Fare

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When author Brian Patton, aka The Sexy Vegan, began dating his soon-to-be wife, he offered to entertain her with Friday night Happy Hours at her apartment or his. After a long workweek, she was ready to kick back and enjoy a cocktail or glass of wine, and it was the perfect way to enjoy summer evenings. After a couple weeks, these evenings weren’t just for two because her friends begged for invitations after hearing rave reviews of Brian’s delicious tapas and appetizers.

Brian created so many vegan recipes that he decided it was time to put them into a book. The Sexy Vegan’s Happy Hour at Homeis divided into 20 menus, each with three or four recipes and libation suggestions. The dishes in each menu complement each other, using similar spices and overlapping ingredients, making the menus efficient. Designed around specific themes, each menu has a unique twist but can easily be combined with other finger foods to provide everything you need to entertain vegan and non-vegan friends and family alike.

This is an excerpt of the 'State Fair Fare Menu' he presents in the book.

State Fair Fare:

Corn Dawggies with the Most Wonderful Ketchup

Okra “Fries” with White Barbecue Sauce

Man, do I hate the fair. Always have. Even before I was clued in on animal suffering and vegan stuff, I still avoided the fair like the plague. My friends would always be like, “Hey, let’s go to the fair!” And I’d be like, “Let me get this straight: You want me to walk around all day in some filthy, stinky farmland and throw some balls and rings at stuff, so I can win useless prizes that I have to carry around all day and will end up throwing away when I get home? And then we'll spend an hour finding our car and another hour getting out of the parking lot? That’s how you’ll have me spending my Saturday? No, thank you!”

Buuuuut just because I hate the fair doesn’t mean I hate the food. I love the food. And corn dogs are at the top of the list! So enjoy these vegan recipes for state fair fare:

Efficiency tip: Start by prepping the Okra “Fries” and getting them in the oven. Then make the sauces, and continue on to the Corn Dawggies. Once the Okra “Fries” are done, remove them from the oven and let them hang out on the counter. When you start frying the Corn Dawggies, put the okra back in the oven for a few minutes to reheat. Then serve everything at once.

Corn Dawggies with the Most Wonderful Ketchup

Canola, vegetable, or any other high-heat oil, for deep-frying

1/2 cup unbleached all-purpose flour

1/2 cup cornmeal

1/2 teaspoon ancho chile powder

1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons unrefined granulated sugar

2 teaspoons baking powder

2/3 cup unsweetened nondairy milk

1/2 cup arrowroot

4 veggie dogs, cut into thirds

Toothpicks

Yellow or whole-grain mustard, for serving

The Most Wonderful Ketchup (recipe follows), for serving

Pour oil to a depth of 3 inches into a pot, high-sided pan, or deep fryer. Line a plate with paper towels and set it next to the stove. Heat the oil over medium heat until it registers 375°F on a deep-frying thermometer. In a medium bowl, combine the flour, cornmeal, chile powder, paprika, salt, sugar, and baking powder. Stir in the nondairy milk and keep stirring until you have a batter that is slightly thicker than pancake batter. Let rest for at least 5 minutes.

Spread out the arrowroot on a large plate. Working in batches, roll the veggie dogs in the arrowroot until completely coated, tapping the dogs to remove the excess, and immerse the dogs in the batter. Using a fork or chopsticks, take the dogs out of the batter and gently lower them into the oil. Fry for 3 to 5 minutes, or until golden on all sides, making sure to turn them a few times for even cooking. Transfer the dogs to the paper towel–lined plate. When they’re cool enough to handle, cut them in half crosswise, and serve with toothpicks, mustard, and the Most Wonderful Ketchup.

The Most Wonderful Ketchup

1 cup ketchup

2 teaspoons pomegranate concentrate (see WTF below)

1/2 teaspoon agave nectar

Whisk all this stuff together in a bowl.

WTF is pomegranate concentrate? WHAT it is, is pretty self-explanatory, but WHERE to find it might be a little more of a mystery. You can find it at supplement and vitamin stores, and if all else fails, the Interwebs come to the rescue.

Okra “Fries” with White Barbecue Sauce

1/2 pound okra, trimmed and halved lengthwise

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

1/4 cup cornmeal

Salt and pepper

White Barbecue Sauce (recipe follows), for serving

Preheat the oven to 450°F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper or Silpat baking mats. In a medium bowl, toss the okra with the olive oil, cornmeal, and salt and pepper to taste. Spread out the okra in a single layer on the baking sheets. Bake for 13 to 15 minutes, or until browned and crisp. Serve warm with White Barbecue Sauce (see WTF below).

White Barbecue Sauce

1/2 cup vegan mayo

4 teaspoons apple cider vinegar

1/2 teaspoon agave nectar

1 teaspoon prepared horseradish

1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika

Salt and pepper

In a small bowl, whisk together the mayo, vinegar, agave nectar, horseradish, and paprika. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Seriously, WTF is white barbecue sauce?!? It’s a tangy, mayo-based sauce invented in Alabama for brushing on grilled foods during the last few minutes of cooking. It can also be served on the side as a condiment. It’s also what comes out of Paula Deen if you prick her with a pin. Disclaimer: Do not prick Paula Deen with anything. Thank you.

Shopping List

Produce

Okra (1/2 pound)

Pantry

Unbleached all-purpose flour (1/2 cup)

Unrefined granulated sugar (2 teaspoons)

Cornmeal (3/4 cup)

Baking powder (2 teaspoons)

Arrowroot (1/2 cup)

Agave nectar (1 teaspoon)

Pomegranate concentrate (2 teaspoons)

Canola, vegetable, or any other high-heat oil (1 to 2 quarts, depending on the size of your deep-frying vessel)

Brian Patton is author of The Sexy Vegan’s Happy Hour at Home and The Sexy Vegan Cookbook. He is also executive chef for Vegin’ Out, a vegan food delivery service in Los Angeles. As the quintessential “regular dude” vegan chef, he started posting instructional cooking videos on YouTube as his witty, ukulele playing alter-ego The Sexy Vegan and quickly gained a large following. Visit him online at thesexyvegan.com.